


Behind Enemy Lines

by Millie55



Series: Behind Enemy Lines [1]
Category: Nikita (TV 2010)
Genre: Espionage, F/M, Nikita Season 1, division recruit, recruit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-06-25 03:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19737673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millie55/pseuds/Millie55
Summary: Katherine Joni Quinn pulled strength from her traumas when she found herself in a dark place. Having killed one of Division's main providers, she has ended up inside Division walls. She now must face challenges she could have never prepared herself for. Slight AU.





	1. Civilian

Day One.

Moscow, Russia. 9:00 AM.

The morning sunshine filters into the small, near empty room through the blinds covering the window. Its bright spring light reveals each dust particle in the air and cast prison-bar like shadows across the room. At the rooms centre, sits a tall blond a metallic table with matching chair. Her full lips are slightly parted as she exhales out the crisp spring air that chills her lungs and sends goose-bumps down her skin. Her delicate fingers flip through the pile of files on the freezing table top, her icy blue eyes scanning every bit of information. The file contains profiles, some face familiar to the reader others foreign. Everything she needs to know is at her finger tips.

The first face in the pile is one of the current director and founder of Division, Percival Rose. The woman looks over the surveillance photo her boss had recovered. Percy was an older man, between the ages of fifty-five and sixty. He wears a serious, almost lethal expression on his face and a cold look in his eyes that hide every thought contained in his eidetic memory. You can tell through his posture and cunning appearance that this man is not one to be reckoned with without consequence.

Following the man in the power seat, is Division co-founder, Amanda. The woman who is no older than forty, has piercing green cat-like eyes, long waves of brown hair with auburn undertones and has perfect womanly posture. The woman scans over Amanda's profile with interested eyes, she finds that Amanda is a woman full of mysteries and is possibly even more dangerous than Percy himself.

The next profile is of a man with striking features; a strong jaw line, mysterious hazel-brown eyes, short dark brown hair contrasting his pale flesh and he wears an emotionless expression. The woman stares at his image for a moment having a sense of recognition; she had seen him before but can put her finger on where. She reads over his profile quickly in attempt to jog her memory, but his biography is too brief. The man by the name of Michael is the Head of Operations at Division and the head of recruit training. The blond quickly looks back at his image and looks over it with confused eyes that craved to be enlightened.

"Почему вы так знакомо? (Why are you so familiar?)" The words escape in a whisper from the woman's mouth and it draws the attention of the armed guard standing at the door of the room. The brute of a man lets out a grunt in response of partially hearing her question. She waves him off signalling that her question was not directed towards him. She tosses Michael small file before picking up the last file.

"Она умерла, да? (She is dead, yes?)" The woman questions as she places the file down on the table for the guard at the door can see. The profile belongs to Nikita Mears; former praised Division Agent who had died on a mission. The guard nodded slowly as he looked over the image of the woman of Vietnamese decent, her hair dark brown, straight and long, and eyes a deep brown. "Тогда почему я должен ее файл? (Then why do I have her file?)" The woman sounded her voice thick with irritation as she stood up from the table.

The guard approached her slowly and picked up the folder with his large hands before shoving it at her chest. "Учиться у нее. (Learn from her.)" He spoke his low and rough with age. The woman raised her arm and grasped the file in her hand before looking up at the guard. The two of them exchanged strong glances before he stepped away from her, opened the door and led her out.

Division Headquarters, Operations. 2:30 PM.

The footsteps of Division operative Michael echo through operations as he paces back and forth behind Seymour Birkhoff, or as he would like to call himself: The Shadow Walker. "What do you mean his tracker went offline?" Michael sounded his smoky voice laced with aggravation. People didn't just drop off the radar, not unless they were dead. His hazel eyes scanned the screen above Birkhoff, observing the bright green lights contracting the black, displaying the location of the Division agents on scene but not a single light match the code that was given to Daniel Alexander Quinn and his wife. Both supplied Division with funds, without them, they would take a heavy financial blow.

"Pull up a visual." Michael ordered as he finally took a standing position behind Birkhoff and crossed his arms over his chest. His face was covered with impatience as the click of the keyboard under Birkhoff's quick fingers surrounded them.

"I can't get a visual." Birkhoff informed Michael; "There's some kind of interference. I'm getting nothing but static. I can have a team waiting for you in five." He continued knowing that Percy would want a team to investigate immediately.

"Make it three." Michael ordered before buttoning up his blazer and heading out operation's door.

Atlantic City, New Jersey. 4:15 PM.

The salt of the sea water was mixed in the humid air just off the beach. The golden grains of sand that lined the beach were heated by the radiant summer sun. The standard black SUV of Division came to a stop in front of the beach house that Mister Quinn resided in. Laughter could be heard from the private beach along the coast behind the residence. Michael stepped out onto the stone walkway, his mirrored sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He looked towards the house with large open window to let in the natural light, how could something so open and guarded become compromised? Michael looked to his team of three as he slid his Glock 17 from his hip holster; "You two take the outside, you are with me."

The agents gave him a nod before breaking off, their Heckler & Koch MP5A3 sub-machine guns tucked into their shoulders. Michael raised his gun and moved towards the front door of the house with quick steps. When he came to the entrance he quickly typed in the numeral code on the key pad before the glass door unlocked with a click. Michael pressed his hand against the clean glass and slid it open. "Mister Quinn." He voiced only to receive no response. Michael continued deeper into the house, through the living room that seemed untouched and into the kitchen. Michael lowered his gun and brought his free hand to remove his sun glasses when he took a step onto the linoleum floor of the kitchen. A crimson pool had begun to spread across the glossy finish. His eyes followed it to the body of Mrs. Jessica Quinn. The woman's blue eyes were still open with shock, her lips slightly parted and her bottle blond hair soaked with blood. "We have a body on scene. No one gets in or out." Michael spoke loud enough for his com to pick up before standing again.

A trail of crimson footsteps leads away from the body. Barefoot, no shoes Michael examined but did not remember seeing a pair out of place at the door. Whoever this person was had made themselves at home prior to the attack. Michael followed the trail slowly, his Glock pointed in front of him thought he would not fire to kill; he was not the one to make that call, if the trigger was to be pulled, Percy would make that order. The footsteps lead Michael down a narrow hall to the cracked double doors of the master bedroom. He opened them cautiously to view the elegant room filled with sunlight. It had a view of the beach that Michael would have admired on any other occasion, but there was another sight to see here, laying on the floor was Mister Quinn laying dead at the foot of the bed in nothing but his red satin boxers. Three sloppy wounds marked his chest, matching the ones that had torn through the blouse of his wife. This was not the work of a professional. Michael gave off a shallow sigh as he reached for his cell phone in his pocket but froze when he heard running water coming from the master bath to the left of the bed. With cautious steps he moved towards the mahogany door, gun raised once again.

His head cocked to the side slightly when he found the petite figure of a young woman hunched over the sink. She was wearing nothing but a black push up bra and matching panties making her protruding hip and rib bones even more apparent than her bony knees. Her cheeks were shallow and blood spattered skin almost ashy as if she hadn't seen sunlight in days. Her weak hands rested under the steaming water trying to rinse the blood away before splashing her tired face. The woman's blood-shot baby blue eyes looked up at her reflection in the mirror but Michael did not go unnoticed. She lunged for the SIG-Sauer P239 resting on the back of the toilet before turning around quickly to train the gun on Michael. Her breathing was sharp and rapid as she looked him over, causing the steadiness of her aim to waver.

"Gun down, now." Michael ordered to the frail looking woman, but she does not comply. Instead she lowers her finger to the trigger and pulls it back. Click. Click. Click. The woman looked down at the gun with a defeated expression when she found that the clip was out of rounds. Tears had built up in her eyes much like the sick feeling in her stomach. The gun slipped through her shaking fingers like silk and she followed soon after to sit slumped against the bathroom counter.

Michael lowered his Glock slowly; in no way did this woman appear to be a threat anymore. A relaxed sigh escaped through his lips as he slowly stepped back from the bathroom door and he slipped his hand into his interior pocket for his cell phone to call Percy. The phone barely had the chance to ring before Percy was waiting impatiently to hear an update on Quinn's condition. "Send a cleaner to my current location, Quinn and his wife are dead." Michael informed Percy strongly as she looked over Daniel Quinn's body on the white carpet. "There is a woman on scene, has what I assume to be the murder weapon. I will put her do-"

"You will bring her back here," Percy cut Michael off before he could finish. "I want to know who she is, who she works for, everything." He ordered before hanging up the phone. Michael flipped his phone closed casually before slipping it back into its place in his jacket. He made his way back over to the bathroom door and looked over the woman once again. She didn't look like she could work for anyone, in fact; she looked sick as if she had been locked away. As he approached her he noticed bruising on her wrists and ankles along with scars along her legs and abdomen. His face was free of any expression that would show any link to what he was thinking happened to the woman in front of him. He had seen it many times before in recruits and none of them ever did see that he felt sorry for what they had been put through, it would be a weakness of his own if they knew that he just wanted to protect them... like he did with Nikita.

He grabbed the woman firmly, one of his hands grasping each of her shoulders tightly before helping her up from the ground. His team had made their way into the beach house and were waiting for him in the master bedroom. "Cleaners will be here within the hour. We have orders to get her back for questioning." Michael explained their orders before removing his jacket from his torso and wrapped around the girl's shoulders. The four of them then escorted the unidentified woman out to the SUV and forced her into the back seat. It wasn't until she was seated that she went to speak but it was too late, one of the men pressed his fingers to the sensitive nerve on her shoulder causing her to black out instantaneously and slouch in her seat.

Division Headquarters, Operations. 6:22 PM.

Operations was in a buzz as Michael, Percy, and Amanda stood around one of the larger monitors as Birkhoff pulled up a missing persons report. The report had been flagged when the facial recognition system picked it up as a match to the woman who had killed Daniel Quinn. "Katherine Joni Quinn," Birkhoff's voice fills the room as Michael looks up at the image that shared a strong likeness to a mug-shot. At first he sees almost no resemblance between the woman he found in the bathroom covered in blood and the woman on the screen but after imagining the seemingly healthy looking woman in the image with protruding cheek bones, and tired eyes it finally becomes clear. "She is the daughter of Daniel and Jessica Quinn and was born November, fourth nineteen-eighty-nine, making her the prime age of twenty-one." Birkhoff continued as he turned to face his three superiors with an almost cocky expression.

Percy looked over the woman's profile slowly with an angry expression. Michael can feel heat radiating from his boss like a volcano that is about to erupt. Percy is not happy about how the mission had been interfered with by the Jersey born, missing person of three years. Even Michael can see that something doesn't add up. "Amanda," Percy's voice erupts from his lips as he turns to face the tall woman who stood at his side. "Young, Ms. Quinn had to have had a reason to kill her family. Find out why."


	2. The Forgotten

**Day One.**

**Division Headquarters, Interrogation Wing. 11:46 PM.**

The cold as steel Division interrogation room chills it's inhabitant to the bone. Katherine Quinn sits in the center of the room dressed in what she was wearing during her apprehension. Goosebumps cover her pale flesh and cold metal shackles keep her ankles bound together at the floor, along with her wrist bound to the metal table hiding her old burns, almost soothing them. Her wrists turn in an attempt to wiggle free of the cold cuffs. The young woman was forced into detoxification upon arrival at Division hours earlier due to medical finding that she had a significant amount of Cocaine in her system. Daniel Quinn kept his daughter as high as possible all the times. A headache pounds against her skull, and her body faces nervous tremors as a result of not getting a hit. Cocaine, her entire body craved it more than her lungs craved oxygen. She was sick, she could feel it and it was all because of her father. Her large, fatigued blue eyes look up from the steel table and at the two large guards that stand at each side of the door.

"Bring in the inquisitor," One of the two guards sounds, his voice echoing inside the blonds head. The second guard opens the door and the sound of heels meeting the white tile fills the room. Following behind the sound, comes the inquisitor, Amanda. A friendly smile forms on her full lips tinted plum as her big green eyes fall on the blond sitting at the table shivering slightly. Amanda has to remind herself that this is not a Division welcome, but an interrogation. Yes, Katherine fit their profile for recruitment but she had also killed one of their biggest assets. She needs to find out why. Amanda takes a seat across from Katherine at the table and looks over her once soft features that are now overpowered by protruding cheekbones and the look of illness.

"Hello Katherine," Amanda speaks in a soft, almost motherly tone as she places a file on the table for Katherine to see; "I'm going to ask you a few questions and I need you to answer them to the best of your ability."

"You a cop?" Katherine sounds her voice weak, yet rough like sandpaper. The young woman looks up at Amanda with a fatigued yet irritated expression as her hands trembled in their cuffs.

Amanda chuckled slightly, finding Katherine's question almost amusing. "No, Dear. I'm here to help you, but first, you have to help us." Amanda spoke as Katherine looked from Amanda to the two guards standing on each side of the door. She could feel in the pit of her stomach that something was not right. Before Katherine could question it, Amanda continued as she opened the file; "Katherine Joni Quinn born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, went missing at the age of eighteen... Something tells me that's not entirely the truth." Amanda assumed as she watched the young woman across from her tremor.

"Does it matter?" Katherine countered slowly with a raised eyebrow. She looked back at Amanda after speaking and cocked her head to one side slightly as watched Amanda's expression with her wide, bloodshot baby blues. Amanda held her emotionless mask and returned the woman's gaze if things kept going at this rate Amanda would have to break out less humane interrogation tactics. "You've figured all of that out on your own," Katherine spoke as she pointed towards the file in Amanda's grasp; "I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

Amanda tapped her nails against the desk impatiently as she glanced down at the file in thought. "Katherine, I understand that you have been through a trauma and that it is hard to talk about it," Amanda spoke slowly hoping that this angle would work on the young woman like it had worked on many before her.

"I haven't been through a _trauma_ ," Katherine told Amanda sternly.

"Haven't you?" Amanda asked slowly. "Young, woman... Addicted to cocaine... Killed her parents... Found almost completely naked with signs of distress." Katherine became obviously aggravated with Amanda as she spoke, her breathing became heavy and her wrists twisted viciously in her restraints in an attempt to free herself. When she is yet again unsuccessful, Katherine breaks down; she slumps down in her seat her face buried in her elbows as she sobbed. Amanda reached out and took the woman's hands in hers; she could feel Katherine try to flinch away but the cuffs held her in place. "It's alright, you're safe here. People like him will never be able to hurt you again." Amanda assured Katherine slowly, no man would do that to her again because if things went how they usually did she would be dead by morning. She then retracted her hands and began to close the file to leave. She stood slowly giving the blond one more look over before heading for the door.

"I wasn't the only one..." Katherine muttered as she looked up from her arms and over to Amanda. "...But you knew that didn't you?" Katherine questioned the woman in front of her in a weak tone. "That's why I did it... Not for me, I could take it... The drugs... The beatings... The sex..." Katherine spoke slowly, struggling with her words as the memories tainted her mind. She remembered everything abstractedly; it was one big blur of bright colors, a pair of fists, and a deep laugh that made her cringe. "They were just kids... innocent and scared, just like I was. He sold them." Katherine choked out as the feeling of sickness crept up her throat. "I had to kill him. I had to make sure another girl didn't end up like me."

Amanda stopped in her tracks to listen to Katherine to explain her actions. She made her way back towards the table and placed a hand on Katherine's shoulder. "It's alright," She soothed in a whisper before pulling a small key from her pocket and undid the cuffs around Katherine's bruised wrists. She tucked the key away in her grey skirt before snapping her fingers quickly for the guard to bring her a cup of tea. "This will make everything better." She spoke slowly and gave the blond the small tea-cup. Her green eyes watch Katherine closely as she sips the tea slowly between deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Minutes later the cup slips from the girl's hands and falls to the floor with great impact as Katherine passed out. Amanda looked down at the shattered tea-cup not pleased that she would now have to find an exact replacement for the set back in her office. "Lock her up," She instructs to the guards seconds afterward. She then gathered the file and tape-recorder that was stashed underneath the desk before walking out of the integration room to deliver her findings to Percy.

**Day Two.**

**Division Headquarters, Percy's Private Office. 5:30 AM.**

Percy sat in his lavish desk chair after a sound night back at home. He had come in this morning and found the slim file Amanda had brought him regarding Katherine Joni Quinn. He looked over the woman's photo with his cold eyes, studying it's every detail. _"Is she Division material?"_ was a question he found himself asking himself repeatedly after listening to her story. She is a young, attractive, white female with little to no paper trail. No one would be looking for her; if it wasn't for her current drug addiction she would be perfect. He could make her perfect.

Percy looks up from the image and up at the other man in the room. Michael stood tall in front of his desk, with his hands linked behind his back as he awaited orders of young Ms. Quinn's cancellation or if she would be enlisted as a recruit. "Ms. Quinn has displayed skills that are very useful here at Division." Percy started as he reached out for his cup of earl grey tea; he took a small sip before continuing; "Get her in a room, I will not let this one go to waste." Percy instructs before lowering his cup down to its place on the matching saucer. Michael nodded unquestioningly and headed for the door to get Katherine Quinn's arrangements sorted before she would wake from her induced sleep.

**Division Headquarters, Recruit Bedroom. 7:45 AM.**

Darkness, it surrounded Katherine swallowing her whole in the haze of gentle sleep. As her rested blue eyes slowly began to blink open, they were blinded by the florescent lights above causing her to groan. Her body was stiff as if she had slept on wooden boards, but as she sits up she finds that it is not the case, she had awoken in a cot dressed in bright white sheets. Katherine looked around the room slowly her head throbbing with a migraine. Her eyes fall on a blurred figure at the end of the bed and she groans slowly as she lay back down and pulls the covers back over her face. "Go away." She grumbling goes unheard by the figure as she buries her face in the flat pillow.

Michael looks down at the new recruit with a blank yet unsatisfied expression. He takes a deep breath knowing that this one will be difficult before pulling up a chair and taking a seat at the end of the bed. There he waits patiently for the girl to realize that he is not going anywhere until he is done with her. Eventually, the young woman sat up slowly with the sheet pulled close to her thin frame. She looks over at him with her wide blue eyes, her pale lips slightly parted. He was the man who found her, who could have shot her without question, but he let her live and she couldn't help but wonder why. Michael cleared his throat slightly before addressing the woman. "My name is Michael. I work for the government," His words were slow and simple as he watched her with his hazel eyes. The fact that her blue eyes began to water as she glances up at him before looking back down at the cot does not bypass him. He took a shallow breath before continuing; "We've decided to give you a second chance, but you have to be willing to earn it."

Katherine returned her vision to Michael, the tears in her eyes now being eliminated by shock. She was a junkie... and a murderer, dirty and broken by her own father. What could the government do with that besides throwing her in a state penitentiary? "...And, I'm not so sure that's the best idea." She told him slowly before running her fingers through her blond tendrils. Fear was painted across her face and her eyes filled with uncertainty. Why did she, of all people, deserve this?

"Learn," Michael spoke his voice stronger than before. With time she would know, that her old life was not meant for her, that there is much more than pain waiting. You must first join the ranks of the forgotten at Division, become dead to the world before you can be reborn and molded into anything they wanted. Katherine watched him closely as he stood and put the chair back at against the wall. "Learn to serve your country, instead of just yourself," Michael finishes as he heads towards the only door to the room. He tapped on it with the knuckles of his pointer and middle finger door the single guard to open it from the outside. The door opens slowly and he goes to leave but stops in his tracks and looks back at Katherine when she speaks once again;

"Well, if that is what you want."


	3. Perfect

**Day Three.**

**Division Headquarters, Amanda's Office. 11:00 AM**.

Organization, it was one of the many things Amanda needed to be perfect. Everything needed to be in its set place, everything needed to be kept on record, and more importantly, everyone needed to be on time. Amanda had arranged to see new recruit, Katherine Quinn at ten o'clock on the nose and not to her surprise, Katherine never showed. The tea she had made was forced to go cold, and the tape on the recorder hidden under the table was filled with nothing but white noise and the click of Amanda's heels against the floor as she got things in order. Having to push all of her other appointments backs, Amanda now took her time getting ready as a new pot of tea boiled. Brush by brush; she straightened her tools on the vanity tabletop, being careful not to let them roll off the table's edge. She then looked through the makeup bag she had put together for Ms. Quinn. Was the foundation a match for the young woman's complexion? How would the eye shadow compliment her blue eyes? Was this the right shade of lipstick?

A gentle knock on the door drew Amanda from her thoughts. She places the teal makeup bag labeled Quinn, back down on the vanity before looking into the mirror. She smoothed her dark auburn strands, ran her fingers over her smooth cheeks and chin before checking her slight pout and applying her lip gloss. The corners of her lips curled up slightly as she backed away from the mirror and approached the double doors to her office. The click of her heels against the tile floor echoed off the concrete walls but they quickly drowned out by the opening of the doors. Her green cat eyes fell on the petite figure of the recruit on the other side of the door. "Hello Katherine, nice of you to join me." Amanda's voice sounded in a pleasant ring. "Please, come in." Amanda stepped back from the door, and Katherine slowly makes her way into the room. Her feet dragged against the floor, her shoulders slouched with poor posture and she looked almost sick from the withdrawal.

Katherine cocked her head to the side as she took in the room in front of her. At first, it looks relatively small with the back wall covered in florescent light panels but judging by the echo, the walls could be opened or pushed back to reveal a private quarter. A vanity was off to the side, opposing it was a rack of clothes and mannequins dressed in the top fashions of Amanda's choice for Katherine's body shape. Each tailored to fit Katherine like a glove, highlighting her thin waist, strong shoulders, and long legs. Katherine's eyes then fell on a white couch, coffee table and chair. The scent of sweet tangerine green tea drew her towards it. The aroma was relaxing and seemed to ease the jittering of her hands. "Take a seat if you like," Amanda offered; "Have a cup of tea or two." She continued. "Maybe we could talk."

"I'm not much of a talker," Katherine spoke weakly as she watched Amanda poured the transparent, orange liquid into an intricately detailed ivory tea-cup. Amanda offered the steaming cup and Katherine took it cautiously, remembering the last time she drank the woman's tea it had caused her to blackout. Katherine sat down slowly on the lush sofa and rested her hands cupped around her tea on her lap.

"I'll start," Amanda smiled slowly as she took her own tea-cup in her hands, sat in her throne and crossed one leg over the other in a ladylike manner. "My name is Amanda," She introduced herself casually before sipping her tea. "You'll find that I have many jobs here at Division, much like everyone else, but right now my job is to help you get clean. Be your friend."

Katherine's shadowed featured smoothed over into a humored expression at Amanda's words. A half-hearted smile formed on her dry lips as she looked up from her tea to look at the older woman in front of her. Friend, the word was a joke to her. Anyone she had come to trust, hurt her. The pain sunk deep into her chest, an almost sick feeling taking over. "I don't need _friends_." She spat out before placing her cup of tea on its saucer.

"Katherine," Amanda spoke softly, "you can trust me."

Katherine stood quickly her lips pulled back in a hysteric grin. Her fingers knotted in her blond hair as she began to pace. "Trust you?" She queried slowly as she looked down at Amanda. Another series of chuckles escaped her lips. "I don't trust anyone anymore and I sure as hell don't need any friends. I don't need anybody!" Katherine shouted as she began to jitter again. The withdrawal worsened as she grew aggravated and stressed. She clasped her hands together trying to control the shakes and shut her eyes tight in an attempt to settle.

Amanda stood slowly after putting her tea aside. She approached Katherine slowly and placed each of her hands on her shoulders. The contact caused Katherine's eyes to flash open in an instant, and with sluggish movements, she pushed Amanda away. Amanda drew her hands back, running her hand over her left wrist where Katherine's sharp nails had left a scratch. "Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks," Amanda quoted Isaac Watts her voice laced with wisdom and her superiority. She watched as Katherine shut her eyes once again from the threat of tears burning her eyes. Amanda slowly placed her hands on Katherine's shoulders once again, this time more cautiously than the first. Katherine's hand reached up to grasp one of Amanda's gently as she slowly tried to regulate her breathing, trying to calm herself and the feeling inside her. She was sick, and the only cure was to forget her past. Amanda was going to help her do that for her.

"Everything is going to be alright," Amanda spoke softly as she slowly ushered her towards the vanity and sat her down on the cushioned stool. She slowly pulled Katherine's blond hair down and began to brush out the tangles. She reached over to turn on the curly iron before looking up at their reflections in the mirror. "You may not need us yet Katherine but Division, it needs you."

**Division Headquarters, Computer Lab – Tech Class. 1:45 PM.**

Bead of perspiration dripped down Seymour Birkhoff's brow as he becomes frustrated with the group of new recruits in front of him. How could they be so incapable? He had made the exercise so simple, much like a stupid armature video game and they still continued to strike him with their stupidity. "Alright everybody, take five!" Birkhoff barked as he ran his fingers through his long hair. He made his way to his desk before sipping his can of lukewarm Red Bull quickly. "Newbs." He groaned before pinching the bridge of his nose. Footsteps filled the room and he groaned, "Who told any of you-" He started as he turned around expecting to find someone leaving, but instead he found a recruit walking in. "You're late Barbie." He told her taking note of her blond hair; makeup kissed face and thin build.

Katherine nodded slowly as she moved to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, sorry," She apologized slowly as she took a seat at a free computer. "I was with Amanda." She explained slowly, almost hesitantly. Birkhoff seemed strict, his words as quick as a whip, but he didn't seem dangerous.

"I don't want to hear your excuses..." Birkhoff muttered before taking another swing of his Red Bull, polishing off the can. He tossed it aside into the near recycling bin before sighing, he didn't like working with these recruits but it had to be done. He returned his deep brown eyes to the group before speaking; "Alright, let's try this again, you've got ten minutes. Go." The clicking of the keyboards filled the room; it was like music to his ears. He could see their frustration growing in their face, displayed by the redness in their cheeks. He looked over each of them slowly and was impressed when some of them seemed to figure it out. On the other hand, there was _Barbie._ One hand was knitted into her blond curls while the other typed viciously at the keys. Her brows knitted and she chewed her bottom lip as her blue eyes scanned the screen. "Nine minutes!" he counted down occasionally to remind them that they would be working under pressure. He then watched at Katherine retracted her hands from the keyboard and relaxed in her seat. "Given up already, Barbie?" He taunted slightly.

Katherine gave off a slight shrug before smirking; "I'm done."

Shock overtook Birkhoff's face as he looked over Katherine slowly. She had arrived late, missed the demonstration in which he completed in less than sixty seconds. How could she have finished already? He rounded her desk and looked over the screen in disbelief. "Congratulations Barbie, you've beat level one." She told her. Before she could tell him her real name, he made his way to the back of the room to look over the other recruits. "How is it possible that the _blonde_ that wasn't even her for the demonstration can complete it faster than Amanda can buy shoes?" He voiced loudly as Michael entered from the front entrance. "You're all dismissed," Birkhoff tells the class before making his way to meet Michael.

Michael looked over the fresh group his hazel eyes in a slight glare, leaving his emotions illegible with his clear slate of a mask. He nodded towards the few familiar faces before speaking. "How did the lesson go?" His voice was velvety smooth as he crossed his arms over his chest. He could tell by the annoyed expression Seymour wore that class did not meet with his standards of computer competence.

"They seem to get even more stupid every time a new batch comes through." Birkhoff huffed before opening a new can of Red Bull with a crack. He took a long sip, but held up his hand to Michael, he wasn't finished. "There was this one recruit, took just over one minute to complete the task, impressive for a newb." He pointed out before looking over the recruits that had yet to disburse.

"Who was it?" Michael asked as he looked over the crowd.

"Barbie over there." He pointed out Katherine with his thumb. She had remained seated at the small desk staring at the computer screen with her large blue eyes framed with long wispy lashes. "She made it look like child's play. What exactly did she do to wind up here?" Birkhoff asked slowly. She didn't exactly look the computer nerd type all done up thanks to Amanda; in fact, she looked almost completely out-of-place sticking out like a sore thumb. The reason you could tell she was meant to be there was the recruit uniform and the overhang of her withdrawal.

"Ms. Quinn?" Michael asked slowly with his brow raised, making sure to keep his tone low it was not overheard. "She killed both of her parents, they kept her drugged and locked up in the basement for years," Michael explained briefly before looking over at the young woman who looked around the room like a lost puppy. He then returned his eyes to Birkhoff who carried a semi-confused look on his face. Though Michael didn't show it, Birkhoff was not alone in that state of uncertainty. Ms. Quinn was not all that met the eye, but Michael knew very well to expect the unexpected.


	4. Days are Numbered

**Day Seventeen.**

**Division Headquarters, Amanda's Private Office. 2:15 PM.**

A small cup of tea was placed on the mahogany desk in Amanda's office, but this tea wasn't for another recruit it was for Michael. She gave him a small smile before moving to her desk chair and sipped her own small glass of earl grey. She crossed one leg over the other casually, her hands smoothing over her navy blue dress over her lap after she placed the cup down on its saucer. She then reached out for the thin file on her desk; she opened it slowly before turning it for Michael to see. Her polished nails traced over the matte profile image of Katherine Quinn before sliding it in Michael's directions. "It seems that Ms. Quinn has not been attending her lessons. Personally, I haven't seen her since last Wednesday." Amanda voiced sounding much like a principal.

Michael pushed the cooling tea to the side as he glanced over the file as he took it in his hands. His hazel eyes scanned over it slowly taking in her vague description of her past and her record of her past two weeks at Division. She was very punctual when it came to checking into her room for the night, and for her showers and meals prior. On the other hand, Katherine rarely attended her lessons or checked in time in the main training room. Michael sighed slowly as he closed the file, placing it back on the desk and stood. "I will have to discuss this with her," Michael spoke slowly as he buttoned up his sports jacket casually. Katherine was putting herself at great risk by not attending her training. If she didn't get her act together, her days would soon be numbered.

**Division Headquarters, Katherine's Room. 2:30 PM.**

The warmth of her cot swallowed Katherine whole. The florescent likes above buzzed and they lit the room with their new blinding light. They had been on since five in the morning and not once did Katherine think about leaving her bed. Usually, she would leave to get breakfast before slipping back into her room, but today she just didn't feel right. She pulled the covers over her face in an attempt to block out the light in an attempt to fall back to sleep once again. Knock. Knock. Knock. Katherine let out an exasperated sigh as she peered out from underneath the covers and looked towards the door. What could be so important that they would actually come looking for her? It seemed that it would be easy enough to lose track of a recruit inside Division walls, but Katherine underestimated them greatly.

When Katherine did not answer to his knocking Michael's face fell into an annoyed expression. His hand grasped the cold metal handle and pushed the door open slowly. His impassive eyes scanned the dull room before they landed on the bed. The slim figure of Katherine could be seen from under the thin blanket draped over her form. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Michael's rough yet casual tone filled the quiet room as she slowly moved towards the cot.

"Don't you?" Katherine countered as she pushed the blanket away from her face slowly to look up at Michael with her large blue eyes. Her cheeks no longer seemed to protrude and the craters where her eyes once sat were no longer dark. Katherine no longer looked like the addict they had dragged in on day one, but a real woman. It would be a waste to have her come this far for nothing. Michael cleared his throat signalling that she had crossed the line with her words. He was also caught off guard by the attire of her tight black spandex shorts and white tank-top that hugged her torso. He brought his hand up to the collar of his crisp white dress shirt and pulled it away from his neck with two fingers. "Is there something you need Michael?" Katherine asked slowly as she noticed how on edge he seemed. Katherine reached her arms up, stretching her stiff back as her eyes continued to watch him with her well-rested eyes.

Michael's face hardened as he took her grey sweater from the chair and tossed it in her direction. She caught it in her hand swiftly before looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Put it on," he told her before undoing the button on his blazer to loosen up his sleeves. "You've got a lesson to attend," He told her sternly as he readied to open the door for her to leave. "Demolitions training, at 2:45." He reminded her calmly.

Katherine smiles slowly and shook her head as she zipped up the loose sweater. "I don't think I do, I'd rather get a snack," She paused casually to think of what she was in the mood for. "Maybe an apple; an orange would suffice."

Michael rolled his eyes slowly before turning back to face Katherine. "You are aware of what could happen to you if you don't start cooperating don't you?" He asked slowly as he stepped towards her. He leaned down and propped himself up with the head of the bed looking straight into Katherine's eyes. Their faces were inches from each other; his hot breath could be felt on her face and his stare coming from his hard brown eyes was intimidating.

"Are you threatening me?" Katherine swallowed hard as she returned the stare right back at him, her eyes cold and hard like crystal. Her words were almost enough to make Michael smirk, threatening her was exactly what he was doing. He had never met a recruit who didn't squirm at the thought of being canceled. Even he felt a little uneasy when he thought about their bodies being melted away by acid at the hand of one of Division's many cleaners. Katherine groaned slightly as she pushed Michael's hand from her bed in a childish manner. "Get out of my room," She ordered childishly, "Get out, now!" Michael cocked his head to the side slightly, her eyes narrowing as he grew closer. "What are you-" Michael's quick actions cut off Katherine's words, his hands grabbed her wrists and pulled her up into a standing position. "Let go of me." Her voice developed a sharp edge as she pulled out of his strong grasp.

Michael look down at Katherine, his six-foot frame complete with strong shoulders, easily towering her five-foot-six. Her hands moved to push on his chest when he approached her again, but she was unsuccessful. Michael's hands rested at each side of her waist before lifting her up with ease and resting her other his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Shock took over Katherine's face as he moved towards the room's door. He ignored her demands of being put down as his hand rested on her back keeping her in place. Katherine's fits pounded against his strong back but it had no effect on him, Michael actually found it quite amusing but hid it well behind his mask that he always wore. When the two of them were far enough away from the room that he knew she wouldn't try to retreat, Michael lowered her to the ground and backed her up against the cement wall. It was cold against her pale skin but she remained there looking up at Michael with an unpleased glare. She went to speak but Michael was quick to cut her off; "Now, I'm not going to let you screw this up. Too many recruits let this pass by; this doesn't have to end in death for you Katherine. This is not the end." Katherine nodded slowly before looking towards the ground at her feet. "Now we've got to get to class, we're late."

**Division Headquarters, Demolitions Training. 2:58 PM.**

Michael stood up on the walkway overlooking the demolitions lesson with his arms crossed over his chest and had a bored expression on his face. He had overseen this same exercise more time than he could count. The recruit would get under the SUV where a mock bomb would be set on a countdown waiting to be disarmed. He heard the buzzer that represented the detonation of the bomb when they failed to clip the right wires or put in the right code, too many times. He sighed slightly as it filled the air again for the eleventh time that lesson. Only three of the recruits managed to successfully get the job done, and only one remained. His hope for not hearing the dreaded sound of failure was slim, the final recruit was Katherine.

Katherine stepped forward from the group as she pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail at the crown of her head. Her eyes scanned over the SUV casually taking in the color make and model as she removed the thing sweater Michael had told her to put on back in her room. She tossed it to the side before approaching the back-end of the vehicle. She glanced over at Michael and he nodded casually as he reset the clock on the bomb. "Whenever you're ready," Michael voiced in a husky tone and Katherine nodded. She lowered herself to the ground before pulling herself underneath it. Her white tank top rolled up in the back, her skin making contact with the cold marble floor causing a shiver to roll up her spine. Her eyes quickly went to the countdown, sixty seconds to go. Michael had changed the time to destination throughout the lesson and it seemed that he gave her one of the shortest. She cursed under her breath slowly as she reached down to pull the wire snipers from her waistband.

Forty-nine, forty-eight, forty-seven...

She counted down with the clock as she pulled the cover of the bomb off. She kept her breathing and hands steady as she looked over the array of wires present; red, blue and yellow.

Forty, thirty-nine, thirty-eight...

Katherine followed the wires from the clock to where they ended up before bringing the cutters to the blue wire. With little hesitation, she clipped the wire and let her eyes dart towards the clock. She smiled slowly when the neon red numbers stopped at thirty-six and the buzzer did not sound. She had passed. She tucked the wire cutters between her skin and the waist of her pants before rolling out from underneath the vehicle. She moved back towards her he sweater and placed the cutters back in the toolbox making sure Michael saw. The last thing she needs is him banging on her door again, accusing her of stealing a possible weapon. "I have to say that I am not impressed." Michael voiced as he made his way out onto the main floor. "If you were in the field, the majority of you and your teams would be dead because you failed to complete a simple task. And to those of you who completed the exercise, job well done." Michael finished, his eyes falling on Ms. Quinn with a subtle nod before dismissing the lesson. _Job well done._


	5. Heart of Stone

**Day Seventy-Eight.**   
**Division Headquarters, Training Room. 6:30 AM.**

  
The room reeked of perspiration and the heat of the room was putting the group of recruits on edge. One by one they were asked to take on the trainer, an ex-con with cheap prison tattoos and a permanent mean streak. His words were crude and dodgy just like his fighting style. He could take you on with one hand behind his back and rub it in your face when you lost. Only the brave took him on and the scared were forced to after being taunted and ridiculed. Today, he was on a roll. He had taken on two of the biggest recruits present, and come out victorious. Their size did not stand a chance against his skill. The trainer’s deep chuckle filled the room as a crooked grin covered his smug face. “Alright, which one of you smack talking know it all’s is next?” He questioned his voice slimy.

  
His beady black eyes scanned the group of kids around him. Some of them were nursing the injuries he had given them causing his smile to grow even wider. He was left with two recruits to choose from: a small frail-looking boy who Division kept around for the computers and Katherine Quinn. “I’ve heard about you.” He spoke as he lowered himself down to her level as she sat cross-legged on the floor practicing her posture that Amanda was enforcing. The trainer reached forward and moved to push a strand of hair behind her ear. Katherine shut her eyes tightly and flinched back. “Old Daddy Warbuks can’t hurt you in here; there are other things to worry about. Things like me.” He whispered over to her and watched as her fists clenched. “Did I make you angry Sweetheart?” He taunted as he stood up and backed up onto the sparring mat. He tossed the second pair of gloves in her direction before cracking her neck. “What are you going to do about it? Going to sit there and cry? Nobody’s going to help you now! You’re just going to have to help yourself. If you want to live, you’ve got to fight for it!”

  
Katherine narrowed her blue once bright blue eyes that now were as dark as stormy skies. She picked up the gloves at her feet and pulled them onto her hands and tightened them around her wrists. Kate then moved to stand slowly before stepping onto the mat reluctantly. Her grey zip-up sweater hung off one of her shoulders and her head was cocked to the side as she chewed her lip as she thought. “You want to go, let’s go,” Katherine muttered as she moved to pull her sweater back onto her shoulder.

  
The trainer let out a deep laugh as he advanced on Katherine who remained on the edge of the mat. “Aren’t you scared you’ll break a nail Sweetheart?” He teased as he pointed out her freshly manicured nails.

  
Katherine rolled her eyes as she watched his feet take steps towards her. When she looked up he was already making the first punch. Katherine quickly brought her right arm up to block it and went for his gut with her left fist. The punch was not her strongest but her fast actions caught her trainer off guard. He was almost stunned when she went in for the next attack, sending two jabs up before going in for a right hook. Three shots at which he blocked two of, he groaned when her fists collided with his jaw and she bounced back quickly to avoid his grasp. She brought her white sneakered foot up to kick him back, sending him to the floor with a thud. 

  
“You little bi-” He began to slur but was cut up when her foot impacted his face.

  
“Shut up.” She slurred before pushing him over she bends his arm back harshly. He had been defeated by the very blonde that had was nicknamed after a little girl's favorite doll. Katherine lowered her glossy lips down to his ear before growling into it; “Next time you decide to push around a recruit, read their entire profile first. Don’t just stare at the pictures, this isn’t pre-school Sweetheart.”

  
Two pairs of rough hands grasped Katherine’s arms tightly and pulled her from on top of her trainer. She didn’t fight their grasp however; Katherine had learned that fighting off the guards only made things worse. Her eyes softened as they pulled her back to the edge of the mat and watched at the trainer rolled over nursing his arm. Blood oozed from between his lips and poured from his nose and he cussed in her directed; “You’re going to wish... I’m going to have you canceled for fast...” He threatened, expecting to see fear spread across her face, but instead, Katherine wore a smug smirk. “I’m going to wipe that smirk right of you prissy little face!”

  
“Get him to medical.” Michael's voice unexpectedly filled the room slicing through the tension like a knife through butter. Katherine looked up to see him walking down the steps dressed in one of his many classic charcoal grey suits, powder blue shirts, and his shiny dress shoes. His sidearm could be seen resting on his holster in his hip, but his most evident accessory was his authority. He carried it in his voice, in the way he walked and in his expression. The only person who took that away from Michael was Percy and that itself was a rarity to the recruit. Percy was always in his office or operations, he always left the recruits to Michael. Michael approached Katherine and the guards that kept a grasp on her. “Let her go, I’ll talk to her,” Michael ordered and the two guards obeyed.

  
Once she was released Katherine attempted to run, but Michael quickly blocked her path. He looked down at her, his eyes the windows to nothing but darkness. She ripped off the gloves, the Velcro making the task noisier than necessary. Katherine threw the gloves at his feet before pushing past him and disappearing into the corridor.

  
**Division Headquarters, Percy’s Private Office. 7:15 AM.**

  
The manila folder hit the red oak desk smack when Percy released it from his hands. He had an irritating glare on his face that even the blissful taste of his earl grey couldn’t rid him of the anger that loomed. “Been here two months and her file is thicker than recruits who have been here for a year.” He barked his voice rough and laced with annoyance.   
On the other side of his desk took Michael, his hands linked behind his back like a soldier in attention. When he found that Percy had nothing else to say, he took his turn to speak; “You’ve seen where Katherine has come from, and know how much her father did for us here. Keeping her here is the least we can do for the man that kept this place going.” He started casually as she moved to sit down in front of Percy. “She’s just having a hard time adjusting.”

  
“Just like Nikita did?”

* * *

  
_“It’s time we do something about Nikita.” Amanda’s voices chimed in Michael’s left ear followed by the click of her pacing feet. Her dark auburn hair was hair up in a relaxed ponytail, makeup more natural than usual and her silhouette was framed by a slouchy black blazer, cropped suit pants and a scoop neck mauve blouse. “If we can’t control her down here, we can’t control her out there. Would you trust her with your life on an op?”She queried as she moved to tanned at his left side. When he remained silent, Amanda got her answer. “I’ll take that as a no.” Her electric green eyes flashed up towards Percy whose hair still had an undertone of brown, the stress of Division had not taken his youth from him just yet. They then lowered back down to Michael who almost looked uneasy in his seat._

  
_“So cancel her.” Percy proposed simply, he had this conversation many times before and they all ended the same way: In a bath of acid._

  
_“All I am asking is a chance to talk some sense into her.” Michael voiced as he uncrossed his arms, opening himself up to the conversation around him. “As far as I can tell, nobody’s done that.” He continued and watched with his distant brown eyes as Percy shifted in his seat. Michael knows very well that Percy did not like to be challenged and this was one of those moments._

  
_“If I don’t see immediate improvement, she gets a bullet in the brain,” Percy spoke bluntly as he stood up from his desk, Nikita Mears’ file in hand, “and you will be the one to put it there.”_

* * *

  
“Nikita became one of the best agents Division had seen, we just had to give her time.” Michael pointed out almost defensively, but he managed to keep a calm composure as he kept an eye on Percy. Not a single hint gave away what he used to feel for Nikita. His mouth remained in a stern line, eyes dark and illegible and breathing regularly.   
Percy, on the other hand, saw right through this, he had always suspected that Michael feels for her but it didn’t matter now that she was dead. “I will not deny that Nikita was a great asset to us during her time at Division, but our lack of control over her and her lack of self-control was what got her killed in the field, and another one of our agents thrown in jail.” Percy reminded him before sipping his earl grey once again but was disappointed when it was to cool for his liking. He pushed his tea aside and looked down at young Ms. Quinn’s folder. There was not a doubt in his mind that she would do whatever it took to survive and he needed that kind of determination. Her past guaranteed that she would not let herself get caught in any kind of emotional ties like Nikita had with the civilian she used to assist in her cover. But could Katherine Quinn follow the strict rules he had set out for them? Could she come to trust the very people that help keep her father in business?

  
“Sir?” Michael’s voice broke Percy from his thoughts and he came to rest his blue eyes on his most trusted agent.

  
“Talk to Ms. Quinn,” Percy instructed as he moved to slip her file away. “You’ve talked sense into our best before; let’s see if you can do it again.” Percy dismissed Michael and slid the filing cabinet door closed before locking it away. He had high hopes for Katherine Quinn now; he wasn’t going to lose her like he had lost Nikita.

  
**Division Headquarters, Katherine’s Room. 7:45 AM.**

  
Katherine could feel her heart beating against her chest. She had done it, she could tell. She had pulled the last straw. Any second now, Percy would be walking through the door guards at his side and a gun in his hand. They wouldn’t even bother pulling her out of bed before emptying the clip into her face. The guards would then take her limp body off to a dark room and dissolve her body in a bath of acid. They would leave her there until nothing but her silver stud earrings remained.

  
Knock, knock, knock...

  
“This is it...” Katherine hummed as she rolled onto her back and closed her blue eyes. Her heart clenched during the pause that let her reopen her eyes. The wait was worse than what she had predicted would come. Which breath would be her last? Her lips let out a sigh when the knocking continued. She pushed her blankets aside in a fit of frustration and peeled herself from the bed with a loud creek before approaching the door. Her sneakers squeaked against the white tile as she marched towards it. She grasped the handle with her right hand tightly and spoke as she pulled it open; “If you’re going to cancel me, you don’t have to be so polite about it...” Katherine fell silent when she found Michael standing on the other side alone, no guards and his gun was not visible. “Percy sent you to do his dirty work?” She queried sharply as she crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

  
“I’m not here to cancel you,” Michael spoke in his naturally husky tone as he pulled his hands from his pockets, “can I come in?”

  
Katherine stepped back from the door, giving Michael room to step inside. She uncrossed her arms to run one of her hands through her blond tendrils unsure of what to say or do. Katherine closed the door behind him and after a moment of awkward silence, she spoke up. “If you’re not here to put a bullet through my brain, what are you here for?” Katherine moved from the door and sat herself down on her bad, bringing up one leg at a time to sit cross-legged. She then returned her curious eyes to her mentor and chewed her bottom lip out of habit.

  
Michael made his way into the plain recruit room that looked no different from when he first brought Katherine here. Her work at Division was much more than standard, but her outbursts were costing her everything. “I want to talk to you about your outburst from earlier this morning,” Michael paused briefly to clear his throat, “the one from last week, and the ones prior to that.”

  
Katherine wrinkled her nose when Michael brought up her incidents but quickly softened her face when she heard Amanda scolding her in the back of her mind. “About that-”  
“Just listen,” Michael cut her off swiftly as he pulled the steel chair from its matching desk to take a seat across from her, “you have potential here, we see that. We also see the struggles you are having when it comes to following orders. I understand that could be linked to what your fath-” Michael stopped himself when he sees the effect that bringing up her father did to Katherine. He could see the tears building in her eyes that came with her uneasy expression. “I apologize for bringing that up Katherine, but you need to move on. Let us help you forget...” Michael fell silent as he watched Katherine shut her eyes and a tear slid down her cheek. He looked around the room with his hazel eyes before slowly standing an approaching the bed. “Katherine...” He spoke gently and lowered himself onto the bed to sit beside her.

  
Katherine opened her sad blue eyes and looked over at Michael who now sat across from her. “It’s alright,” She told him before shifting in her seat, “my father... he deserved everything that was coming to him and Division got all of his money...” Katherine couldn’t bring herself to continue. Her works were growing weak and her hands fidgeted with the thought of her father and the fact that she hadn’t had a fix in two months. Katherine’s eyes widened with a panicked look as her breathing became shallow and rapid.  
Michael reached out and placed his hand on each of her shoulders, only to feel Katherine try to jerk away. “Katherine, relax,” He told her calmly, “breath.” Katherine focused on Michael, taking a deep breath in than letting it out before repeating. She nodded along with his instructions to continue the breathing before moving into hug Michael. Michael’s eyes widened when her arms linked behind his neck, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

  
“It’s just so hard...” Katherine mumbled to Michael who had slowly moved to return the unexpected embrace.

  
“I know, I know,” Michael told her softly before pulling back from the recruit as he slowly pushed her back gently. “You’re going to get this figured out alright. Let Amanda help you, let your trainers help you, and let Division help you. Things will get better alright?” Michael assures her and responds with a nod. Michael retracted his arms from her shoulders carefully before standing up from the bed. He gave Katherine a nod before buttoning out his blazer and moving for the door.

  
“Michael,” Katherine broke the silence as he approached the door. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder briefly to see what she needed. “Thank you.” Michael nodded again in response before slipping out of her bedroom door. Once it was closed behind him he straightened out his sports coat and tried to rid his cloths of her signature scent that Amanda had picked out for her. He cocked his head to the side as he took a deep breath, Mrs. Quinn was defiantly a handful but he would put up with her, for Percy.


	6. Rise from the Ashes

**Day Ninety-Three.**   
**Division Headquarters, Training Room. 11: 25 AM.**

  
Katherine wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked around the training room with her heavily lidded eyes. A migraine loomed at her temples and it worsened at the sounds of the training room. Weights clanked against one another to her left, recruits shouted at each other to her right and the door was constantly slamming at operations. Something big was happening today. Every trainer and every agent was on edge and Katherine wanted to know why.

  
Her blue eyes scanned the walkway on the outskirts of the training room and they slowly fell on Michael. His crisp suit hung off his well-postured frame as he was escorted towards operations by a handful of guards. Katherine tried to keep her head down, not wanting her observations to be obvious as she practiced her boxing on a dummy. Punch, glance, punch and kick. She continued this pattern until Michael was swallowed into the mass chaos in operations that could be heard when the door opened and faded when it was closed. Once he was out of sight Kate dropped her arms and stripped off her gloves. Someone had to know what was going on, and rumors had to be running through the grapevine. Katherine quickly looked around before walking off in the hope of finding someone with an idea of what was going on.

**Division Headquarters, Operations. 11:30 AM.**

  
Michael looked out over operations with a slightly confused expression; agents buzzed from computer to computer, shouting orders to one another with stressed expressions. He couldn’t help but ask himself what was going on and why he was just being informed now. “Percy.” Michael voiced as she approached his superior at a strong pace. Before he could ask, Percy was already answering his question:

  
“I’m taking you off operation Black Arrow,” Percy told him sternly as he put his hands on his hips and kept an eye on the screens above him, “and I’m giving you a new mission: Nikita.”

  
Michael’s face slipped into a deadpanned expression. His jaw was slack as his head cocked to the side slightly. “Nikita?” Michael spoke in slight disbelief, his eyes darkening slightly. Nikita was supposed to be dead, killed in action; he had heard the mission over the com. She was dead, she had to be.

  
“She popped up on the grid and I want you to hunt her down and kill her,” Percy spoke bluntly as he turned around to face Michael. His wrinkled hands slipped into the pockets of his light grey suit pants and moved to look out over operations. “That won’t be a problem for you will it?” He questioned in a challenging tone before glancing over at Michael to see his reaction.

  
“No Sir,” Michael nodded as he joined Percy at his side, looking over the room full of recruits below, “Nikita will be taken care of.”

  
“Good.” Percy nodded as he moved to cross his arms over his chest. The last thing he need was to be worrying about Nikita; he had a reputation to uphold. His icy blue eyes scanned over the recruits below and fell on young Katherine Quinn who was slipping out of the training room. “I have to go to a benefit at the Centennial Foundation tonight,” Percy changed the subject casually, “I will be in need of a date. I’m sure Amanda could get young Ms. Quinn fitted for the occasion.” Percy glanced over at Michael who was nodding slowly.

  
“I’m sure she could,” Michael agreed as he pulled his phone from his pocket to take down the notice on his phone. He couldn’t help but be taken aback by Percy’s request to have Katherine join him at the benefit. Yes, she had improved greatly over the past couple weeks but he had assumed that he would want someone with more experience to join him now that Nikita was back on the radar. Percy then left the buzz of operations, to find the comfort of his office to prepare for the evening and the war ahead.

  
**Division Headquarters, Cafeteria. Noon.**

  
The scent of mashed potatoes, peas, and cold meatloaf and gravy filled the cafeteria. Katherine sat at the picnic-style table, tracking her plastic fork through her white mash as she quietly listening to the chatter of gossip around her. Who was screwing who, and who managed to swipe goods from their last lesson seemed to be the talk of the town, but nobody brought up the panic operations seemed to be in. She let out a sigh and pushed her tin trey off the table and into the trashcan that was set at the end of the table. Her crystal eyes scanned the large room and slowly fell a new recruit who was being observed by an African-American female.

  
Jaden was a fierce girl who had been recruited around the same time as Katherine. She enjoyed preying on the new recruits like a lioness slowly waiting in the shadows before pouncing. The pleasure that came from watching them squirm under her control was her own personal high. She loved the power that she had over them, and with that came her time with Thom that she adored greatly. Her pale brown eyes scanned over the fresh recruit slowly, her pale skin contrasted Jaden’s and she looked weak. Just the way she liked them.

  
Katherine watched as Jaden approached the new recruit slowly. She carried cocky confidence in her steps and a brash grin on her face. This was not going to go over well. Jaden sat at the table opposing the girl before exchanging a few words. Katherine could tell by the way Jaden scowled that the girl was not taking her too lightly, and before she knew it the new recruit’s lunch flew through the air and she had her plastic fork pointed at Jaden’s jugular. Katherine didn’t know whether to intervene to applaud the bravery of the new recruit. When Jaden appeared to be a viper ready to strike Katherine got up from her table and stepped in. “Back off Jaden, give the girl some space,” She voiced as she moved to put herself between Jaden and the second recruit.

  
“Make me,” Jaden spat her narrow eyes still glued on the vulnerable, fresh face.

  
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Katherine spoke in a challenging tone as she slowly moved the other girl back. They held each other’s glares, Jaden’s brown eyes staring into Katherine’s blue. The two of them remained silent and they could feel the eyes of surrounding recruits on them. When neither of them decided to strike Katherine smirked slightly; “It looks like we’re done here.” Katherine then made the mistake of turning her back on her fellow recruit. She felt Jaden’s small hands on her back before being pushed hard into a near table. A small groan escaped Katherine’s lips as the rounded corner dug into her lower abdomen. “You little...” Katherine mumbled as she got back into a standing position. She glanced back to see Jaden watching with a dark sneer and it pissed her off even more.

  
Katherine sent a fierce punch across Jaden’s jaw causing her round, smug face to snap to the side. Jaden spat a mix of her copper tasting blood and saliva from between her lips before forcing Katherine back against the table once again. Jaden had a habit of fighting dirty and went to knit her fingers in Katherine’s blonde hair pulling it roughly as she reached for the makeshift blade she had tucked into the fabric of her pants. Katherine spotted this movement, fully aware of her secret weapon. She acted quickly, her hands reaching for the drawstrings on her zip-up sweater. She wrapped them around her fingers before twisting around so that Jaden’s back was to her. She crossed the drawstrings over her neck before pulling tightly.

  
Pure determination coated Jaden’s face as the blade slipped into her fingers; she was going to cut this bitch. She could feel her lungs begin to burn as they began to crave the oxygen she was lacking. Her brown eyes were beginning to fall out of focus when she saw the pale blur that was Thom. His gentle hands grasped Jaden’s arms as another pair of hands got a hold of her opponent.

  
Katherine released the stings on Jaden’s sweater when she felt a familiar, firm grasp on her arms. She looked back over her shoulder to see Michael and he pulls her back away from Jaden who squirmed in Thom’s arms wanting to get another swing at her.

  
“Stand down, both of you!” Michael barked as he released Katherine’s arms and looked over the group of four recruits. Jaden was in Thom’s arms panting hard and his fists clenched tight as she watched over Katherine with a lethal stare. Katherine was rubbing her sore back as she chewed her bottom lip and finally the new recruit; Alex stood off to the side her jaw slack with shock. Michael gave Alex a quick nod before placing a hand on Katherine’s shoulder; “I need you to come with me.”

  
Katherine looked up at Michael he eyes glassy with fear. He gave her a certain look that told her that she was going to be fine before leading out of the cafeteria. The two of them walked side by side in silence. Katherine sent the occasional glance towards Michael as she wondered what was going on. When they were far enough away from the threat of Jaden striking again Michael stop her, his hands resting on his hips one over his gun and the other over his phone. He went to speak he couldn’t help but notice blood trailing from the corner of her content smile and down her chin. Michael reached out to her chin, quickly wiping the crimson substance away with his thumb. His hand retracted slowly before speaking; “Doesn’t look like you’ll need a medical visit...” Michael cleared his throat, “Percy requests your company for a benefit this evening.”

  
Katherine nodded slowly as she reached up to smooth her hair. Her jaw went slack at the thought of being out in the field. It wasn’t exactly a mission but it was outside of Division. Percy through she was ready and that was a shock to her.

  
**Centennial Foundation. 7:15 PM.**

  
Katherine hung off of Percy’s arm like the silver bracelet on her wrist. She hasn’t left his side all night, her face was beginning to ache from the face smile she was and her hand was cramping from constantly holding the glass of champagne in her free arm. Percy glanced over at Katherine slowly as he slowly leads her off towards the bar to refill his empty glass that was once filled with brandy. He leaned against the dark mahogany dark and waved to the waiter who knew exactly what he wanted. “More champagne?” Percy asked in his low, almost dangerous voice.

  
“Please,” Katherine spoke softly if she was going to make it through the rest of the evening pretending not to hear Percy converse about Division operations, her father, or money she was going to need another drink or two. She traded her empty glass for a fresh one before sipping it back slowly. The two of them remained at the bar casually hidden in the shadows sipping their beverages in silence. It was only when a man in an expensive fitted suit made his way over to them casually.

  
“Percy,” he addressed professionally as he got the bartender to pour him a drink. The man with dark grey hair then sent a smile in Katherine’s direction and held out his hand for her to shake. Katherine untangled her arm from Percy’s before shaking it gently.

  
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Katherine spoke much more softly than usual before taking her drink in one hand and clutch in the other.

  
“Don’t go too far,” Percy cautioned looking her over warily.

  
Katherine nodded in understanding before walking off towards the opposing end of the bar. Her black stiletto heels clicked against the marble floor and her eyes scanned the room before she took a seat on one of the stools. She placed her tall glass down with her clutch before running her hands over her tight red dress smoothing it carefully. This night couldn’t seem to be dragged out any longer if this was what missions at Division were going to be like she’d much rather be canceled.

  
“Katherine,” A familiar voice filled the air and she was pulled from her thoughts. She turned in her seat to find her mentor, Michael approaching her from behind with a displeased expression on his face.

  
“Michael, what are you doing here?” Katherine queries as she moves into a standing position.

  
“Where’s Percy?” Michael countered, completely ignoring his recruit’s expression. Katherine pointed across the bar, to Percy who had already taken notice of the two of them. His expression hardened as he placed his glass on the bar and approached Michael. Before he could question his appearance at the black-tie event Michael lowered his voice and leaned against the bar for privacy; “Black Arrow was blown. Nikita sabotaged the Op.” Michael’s rough words brought anger to Percy’s face.

  
“Alone?” Percy asked his words filled with venom. Michael nodded almost as unpleased as his boss. “Then what the hell are you doing here?” Percy spat, “Find her.”  
“I’m going to need to pull in assets from the field. We trained Nikita to be a ghost, and she learned well. Finding her when she doesn’t want to be found will be next to impossible.” Michael explained. He had done most of her training, he knew better than anyone how she worked.

  
“Hello, guys,” Michael’s face was covered in shock when the voice of Division’s most wanted chimed, “I thought I heard my name.” Nikita strut into the room dressed to the nine in a designer dress and a cocky smile. She sat down at the barstool between the two men and the young recruit that Percy had escorted him this evening. Nikita had been in her place many times before; Percy loved having a beautiful woman on his arm, it was the perfect distraction for clients. Nikita looked at the tall blond almost sympathetically before returning her attention to Michael and Percy who still wore shocked expressions.

  
“How did you get in here?” Michael asked in a low growl as he moved to stand between Michael and Katherine protectively. Nikita wasn’t fazed by this; Michael was always one to do anything to protect the recruits.

  
“Front door, just like you,” Nikita spoke matter-of-factly as she felt a hand graze her lower back. It belonged to the senator she had arranged to come with. She gave him her signature charming smile before exchanging playful banter and sweet laughter. She watched from the corners of her deep brown eyes as Percy’s blood began to boil, this just makes her smile grow even wider. She became so obsessed with watching Percy squirm that she didn’t even notice Michael moving closely behind her, bumping her arm and sending her drink all over the senator.

  
“Oh! I’m sorry...” Michael voiced in what seemed to be a sincere tone, but Nikita knew otherwise. He wanted to get Nikita and Percy alone and he was just about to achieve that.  
“Better put some seltzer on that,” Percy suggested calmly before the senator walked off irritated by the incident. Percy then gave Michael a short glance that told him to follow him; he didn’t need the senator getting caught in the pending crossfire. “Take her with you,” Percy then added in a low tone referring to the recruit that sat on the stood next to Nikita, minding her own business.

  
Michael nodded and took Katherine’s wrist gently after she grabbed her clutch in the opposing hand. “What’s going on?” She questions sharply as Michael leads her off through a crowd of party-goers. He then came to a second bar, not too far off the first and forced Katherine behind it. Her pretty face was covered in a confused expression that looked up at Michael with her almost worried, glossy blue eyes.

  
“Stay low and someone will come and get you when it’s clear,” Michael told her roughly as his hand went to the gun on his hip. If she had been armed he would expect her help in the kill, but he wasn’t going to risk getting her hurt, not now, not against Nikita. It was too risky. “Understood?” Michael asked firmly but was interrupted by the sound of gunfire filling the air. The battle had begun.

  
The Division agents present dropped dead like flies leaving Michael the only armed man to go after Nikita. He watched with his darkened hazel eyes as she tried to slip out the back, but he wasn’t going to let her getaway. Not this time.

  
Katherine watched as Michael took off after Nikita, leaving her by the bar. She could see Percy from her position; he too had taken cover behind the bar and looked unharmed. When Percy spotted her by the safety of the bar she could practically hear him shout; “What do you think you are doing?” without him speaking a word. She could see it in his eyes. Katherine and Michael were all Percy had left here and he’d be damned if he let Nikita getaway.

  
Katherine’s hands shook with slight fear as she crawled out of her hiding spot and over to one of the fallen agents. Her hands pulled open his bright red waiter’s vest and pulled out his extra piece. She examined it quickly, a simple Glock 17. She had been familiarised with this weapon during her first week in Division and was now thankful for it. She gave a final glance towards Percy who was watching her with his blue eyes that had a sense of pride lingering deep inside them. Katherine swallowed hard as she flicked the safety off and loaded a round into the chamber, time to put what she knew to good use.

  
Katherine stood up quickly, making sure to conceal the gun from the civilians in the room who remained crouched low on the ground from the mass of gunfire they had just witnessed. Her steps were quick as she made her way to the door Michael and Nikita had disappeared behind moments before. She could feel a lump building in her throat, as she made her way through the back kitchen where people stood in slight shock. When they caught sight of her gun they gave Katherine the space she needed to pass through. Nothing was more dangerous than a beautiful woman with a loaded gun.

  
Katherine slipped out the back door into the dark moist alley and frozen when she heard the voices of her mentor and the infamous Nikita. She quietly moved to press her back against the cold brick remaining unknown to the duo in the alleyway guns pointed at one another waiting for the other to fire. Katherine remained still, completely silent against the wall as she listened in to the conversation to her left.

  
“I warned you not to get emotionally attached.” Michael's voice was firm as he watched Nikita with cautious eyes.  
“You mean the way you did? With me?” Nikita asked softly as she stepped towards him slowly her hands railed up into the air. She was completely defenseless he could kill her at any time but she knew he wouldn’t be able to do it.

  
“Don’t,” Michael spoke his voice wavering. Nikita could see the pain in his hazel eyes, the pain she had caused him.

  
Katherine waited patiently listening to their every word taking in any detail that she could later put to further use. It was the sudden gunshot that pulled her into the alley. Her eyes widened when she found Michael on his knees with a bullet wound in his shoulder. “Michael...” She voiced softly as she moved to his side, flicking the safety off of her gun and dropping it to the ground before crouching down to his level. Katherine placed a hand on his shoulder gently before watching Nikita step forward to claim his gun.   
“Get out while you still can,” Nikita spoke as her brown eyes fell on Katherine, “It might be the only chase you’ll get.” Nikita then took off into the darkness of the ally. Like a phoenix, Nikita rose from the ashes before disappearing into the black smoke of the knight. Little did she know, that being inside Division was exactly where Katherine wanted to be.

  
**Division Headquarters, Computer Lab. 11:00 PM.**

  
Michael tried hard not to rub his wounded shoulder as he did his scheduled rounds. His arm was supported by a black colored sling that matched the casual suit that he now wore, replacing the one from the benefit that was not stained with blood. His face was impassive, not even showing the amount of pain he felt with every slight movement that affected his shoulder. When he came to the back of the computer lab he found Alex sitting, her face lit up by the screen as she worked on the programming Birkhoff had gone over in class early in the day.

  
Alex noticed his presence and gave him a small smile before pulling hands back from the keyboard. “I’m never going to get this.”

  
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, it just takes time,” Michael told her calmly before looking over his watch, “It’s almost curfew.”

  
Alex took Michael’s hint and shut down her program leaving the computer at its home screen. She gave him a quick goodnight before slipping off into the corridor that leads to a series of recruit bedrooms.

  
Michael was ready to clear the room when a second figure entered the lab. His eyes fell on Katherine Quinn. She no longer wore the red dress she fashioned at the benefit but the yoga pants, tank top, and sweatshirt that were part of each recruit’s attire. Her golden hair was still in its loose curls Amanda had put in her hair, and her makeup was smudged around her eyes.

  
“Oh, Michael,” Katherine spoke when she noticed that she was not the only one in the room, “you startled me.” She placed her hand on her chest as if she were trying to calm herself before taking a seat in a near chair. Her blue eyes scanned over his shoulder with a slight frown at the extent of the injury. Percy had found the two of them in the alley with no sign of Nikita and was angered even further when he discovered Michael was shot. He followed through by putting the blame on Katherine, yelling at her for not acting fast enough and not doing her job as a potential Division recruit. “How’s your shoulder?” She queried her voice laced with guilt.

  
Michael looked down at Katherine with a small, seldom smile; “It’s been better,” He told her in an almost amused tone. He then noticed how at fault Katherine found herself to be. “Look, Kate, this wasn’t your fault. I would have ended up with this bullet in my shoulder if you were there or not.” Michael told her firmly before going to stand behind her, his free hand resting on the back on her chair. “Percy, he puts the blame on who he sees to be the weakest link. It’s best not to put too much thought into it.” He continued before sighing, “It’s been a long day, you should get to bed.”

  
Katherine nodded slowly as she pushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear. “I was on my way there when I ran into you,” Katherine explained casually as she moved to stand, “Goodnight Michael.” Katherine then moved to leave the room in the opposing direction in which Michael was to travel. When she rounded the corner she stopped in her tracks and pressed her back against the wall. She counted to ten under her breath before turning around and quietly making her way back into the computer lab.

  
Michael was nowhere to be seen now and she could now complete what she had planned to do. She moved to the nearest computer before typing quickly on the keyboard. The screen went pitch black before it became lit with neon text. Her blue eyes took a moment to adjust to the contrast but when they did she scrolled to the bottom of the page to a text-box. There, Russian character looked like a mess on the screen, and she was able to send out an encrypted message;  
  
 **No location updates as of yet. My life here at Division is on the line. Percy thinks I’m a liability and is trying to gain control of me. I would have been canceled a long time ago but I am working with someone, he just doesn’t know it yet.**

The recipient was quick to respond:

  
**Well done Kat. We will be awaiting your news back home and will be ready to strike when necessary. All of our faith has been placed in you, Gogol is very proud of you and we are looking forward to bringing you home. – D.S.**


	7. Last Chance

****Day One-Hundred-Sixteen.** **

****Hotel, Division Safe House. 6:45 AM.** **

The bright sunlight filters into the large hotel room when Mirko Dadich parts the tope curtains. A subtle groan erupts from Michael’s throat as he runs his hand over his dark brown hair, how many times did he have to tell this man to keep the curtains closed? He marched over to the large glass pane that looked out over the city and grasped the curtains in his hand and returned them to their closed state. He shot Dadich a hard glare with his narrow hazel eyes before going to join Percy by the door. Percy had just finished talking to Mirko privately and it seemed that he needed a request filled for himself and his men.

Michael took a stance beside his boss, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked to him for instruction. He listened carefully as Percy explained what Mirko wanted in return for the uranium: a seat of power and __what every man wants__ for himself and his colleague. An unpleased expression spread across Michael’s face when he came to the realization that two of Division’s young recruits would be forced into the position needed. There was no way Percy was going to take the risk of hiring a paid escort to satisfy Mirko and his men. “We’ll use Katherine,” Percy started slowly as he began to head for the door, “and the new recruit,” He thought for a moment, “Alex. She’ll remind Mirko of his homeland.”

****Division Headquarters, Training Room. 7:12 AM.** **

“You’ve almost got it,” Katherine’s words of encouragement filled the air as she watched over the new recruit, Alex. They both had struggled in different aspects of Division training and decided to help each other out. Katherine needed help with her self control, Alex needed to be aided with computer exercises and they both needed a sparring partner. “They uppercut just needs to be a little sharper, I don’t want to see it coming,” Katherine points out before backing off to stretch out her long arms. “Stretch it out and we’ll go another round.” Alex gave her a small nod before the two girls moved off to the side to sip their bottle water during their break.

“Morning Michael,” Alex chimed as she watched him walk out into the training room floor in their direction, more specifically, towards Katherine.

“And what do I owe the pleasure?” Katherine queried in a slow, sarcastic tone. Michael was never the bearer of good news when it came to crossing paths with one another. Michael came toe to toe with Katherine, his face covered in an unpleased expression. Katherine concluded that it was in result of her comment and remained quiet to hear out his further instruction.

“This is your last chance.” Michael’s voice escaped his lips in a low tone, this wasn’t a conversation for every recruit in earshot to overhear, “You lack self-control and I have had to pull lots of strings to keep you here.” He watched as Katherine developed an almost angry expression formed on her face. She stripped off the gloves she wore for sparing and reached for her sweater. She pulled it on roughly, she wasn’t going to stand around a listen to Michael bitch and moan about her liabilities. Katherine had just finished being punished by Percy for getting Michael shot in the in counter with Nikita; she didn’t need Michael breathing down her neck. Katherine began to stalk off but Michael’s strong grasp reached out and captured Katherine’s arm.

Katherine reacted defensively, ripping her arm from his grasp and pushing him. “Don’t touch me!” She barked before pushing her hair off her face. Michael acted quickly grabbing her wrists, pulling her close in an attempt of preventing her from making another advance on him. He glared down at her, his hazel eyes filled with concern as her large blue eyes, hard as ice stared back. He kept her grasp on her as she fought to pull from his grasp. Michael sighed and quickly, yet gently flipped her onto the sparing mat pinning her down.

“Kate, I just want to talk,” Michael told her, his voice soft as he hovered over her.

“Get off me,” Katherine demanded before twisting her wrists from his grasp and pushes him off of her petite form. She pushed herself up off the before sending a swing at Michael who easily dodged it before sending a punch to her gut. It was hard enough to have an effect on her, but not hard enough to hurt her. Slight shock covered her face at Michael’s actions but she acted quickly sending a kick towards his chest. No damage was done; before the impact could be forced on Michael he had grabbed her leg, trapping it between his arm and his torso. He forced her back against the wall, bending her leg back into her chest keeping her in place.

“Are you ready to talk now?” Michael asked slowly as Katherine shut her eyes, defeated. He watched as she nodded and he released her leg, letting it fall back into place. He, however, did not back off Katherine; he kept her pinned back against the wall unable to run off like he knew she wanted to do. “Percy has a mission for you. If you screw it up, you’re dead. It’s your last chance, understood?” Michael partially growled into her ear before looking down at her. She nodded again and watched as Michael backed off and looked back towards Alex. “Alex will be joining you,” He informed her casually as he fixed his suit, “Amanda is waiting for you in her office.”

****Division Headquarters, Computer Lab. 7:50 AM.** **

Katherine sat in the glow of her the computer screen in the lab that Birkhoff had yet to open for his morning lessons. Her fingers moved over the keyboard rapidly, partially to get the message back to base quickly, but also to hide her sudden nerves. Back home she could do any mission single-handed, but this wasn’t Gogol, this was a different playing field with different rules that she was not accustomed to and she was scared.

__Online_ _

**__No news yet. I haven’t seen enough to pinpoint the exact location of headquarters. Will report back soon._ _ **

__Offline_ _

Katherine leaned forward, turning the monitor off quickly before putting her face in her hands. Her breathing was wavering and she could hear her pulse in her ears as panic hung over her. It reminded her of her early days at Gogol when she was weak vulnerable. She pulled her hands back from her face before pounding her fists against the desktop; she swore that she would never let herself feel this way again, but Division, it was breaking her.


	8. Hands All Over

**Day: One-Hundred Sixteen.**

**Hotel, Division Safe House. 1:45 PM.**

The chime of the elevator arriving on the top floor echoed in Katherine's mind. The doors slid open slowly, opening up the main hall. Michael led the way, Alex following close behind and Katherine taking the rear. Katherine had walked into many of these situations before, but never without a gun strapped to her thigh. She felt naked and vulnerable as they approached the room Division was using as a safe house. She could feel her stomach jump into her throat as Michael slipped his key card into the main entry. She glanced around the hotel room foyer with her nervous crystal eyes, before curling her hands into fists. She could hear the men in the next room, sipping their vodka and letting out deep belly laughs causing her stomach to twist in knots.

Michael looked back at the two young women behind him, they both wore dressed fitted to their form and picked out by Amanda along with confident expressions. He knew very well, that behind the masks they wore there was fear. To both of them, this was their first mission and their orders are to give the men whatever they asked for. "Ladies," He spoke softly, a flash of sympathy in his eyes before he turned to slide open the double doors. He led them in casually, capturing the attention of Mirko Dadich and his men. Alex entered first, her honey-brown hair hanging long down her back, contrasting the pale shade of her beige dress that clung to her body. Katherine followed after, her pale skin like snow when compared to the deep purple bodycon dress she wore. Her hair is shaped in perfect curls and her eyes grow at the sight of the men in the room. Michael assumed this was the final shock of what she had to do set in; in reality, it was due to the fact that she had encountered many of the men in the room. Some had ties with Gogol, and others Gogol wanted dead as much as they wanted Katherine dead.

Mirko quickly took claim to Alex with hunger in his eyes leaving Katherine to the wolves. She kept a tight lip as she slowly made her way into the next parlor room. She scanned the room quickly with her bright eyes and moved over to where the familiar glint of a Russian vodka bottle caught her eye. "I'm not sure about you, but I could use a drink," She spoke casually as she heard the doors slide closed behind her. She poured two glasses of the clear liquor before turning to meet her match. He was a tall, dark and handsome complete with bright blue eyes. She felt her jaw go slack and the dropped the cold glass in her hand. It was like she had just seen a ghost. "Dedrick," She spoke almost breathlessly and a smile crept onto the man's face.

Dedrick Schmidt was an old friend and a trained Gogol assassin. The fact that he was standing there, wearing a smug smirk and his signature charcoal grey suit, was very much a surprise to Katherine. "W-what are you doing here?" She asked in a low voice not wanting to risk someone overhearing. With quick steps, she was toe to toe with him, wrapped in his arms. She shut her blue eyes tight and let out a relaxed sigh knowing that she was relatively safe in his arms.

"I could be asking you t'e same question," Dedrick spoke his voice smooth as smoke in the crisp air. He pulled back from the blond in front of him and cupped her face in his strong hands. He traced his thumb over her strong cheeks, down over his smooth lips and off her chin. His lips curled upwards to meet the smile she wore on his own before bringing them together in a kiss. The kiss was short, yet full of all the passion that he held for her. When he pulled back he rested his forehead on hers and looked down into her eyes. "I've missed you Katia."

Katherine's hands rested on his strong chest, her head cocked to the side as she looked up at him. "Vhy are you here Dedrick?" She questioned softly her Russian accent seeping into her words, "It could compromise everything." Her expression was soft, for the first time in a long time. She didn't feel as if her guard needed to be up, even with Michael in the next room.

"I know vhat you vant to hear," Dedrick spoke softly as he retracted his hands and lead the woman he knew as Katia Romanov over to the sofa just off-center of the room, "but t'at is not t'e reason I have come. T'ey vant the uranium, Dadich has it. I stay vith him, and intercept the GPS vhen he tries to hand it off to Division." Dedrick finished with a grin and pulled Katia onto his lap. "Now, I understand you are my entertainment for t'e next hour." Dedrick's hand traveled up and down her back slowly as he looked up at her.

"Mhm," Katherine nodded slowly, "Compliments of Percy," She spoke, his name like venom on her tongue.

"He did one t'ing right hmm?" Dedrick smiled before bringing his lips down on her neck slowly. He watched as Katherine shut her eyes slowly and let her head fall the side. His smooth lips traveled up her neck slowly and returned to her lips. His hands roamed over her back and shoulders, ripping one of the straps while caught up in a fit of passion and lust. "Sorry," He mutter, not really meaning it. His lips then fell to the skin it exposed. The traveling off his hands sent a shiver up Katherine's spine and she began to undo the buttons of his crisp white shirt but froze when gunshots filled the air.

Dedrick retracted his lips from her sweet skin before sliding her off his lap. "Get under the desk, now." He ordered knowing that she would be unarmed. Katherine quickly complied and watched as Dedrick moved towards the doors they had entered. The sound of gunfire was nonstop now and Dedrick glanced back at the blond crouched behind under the desk and gave her a nod before opening to the door. He carries the appearance of being one of Mirko's men; he can't just sit back and cower with the woman who had been hired to bring him pleasure.

Katherine kept her eyes on the door; if the threat were to enter she would be on her own. No guns, no knife, no partner, just anything her arms reach and the skills she developed at both Gogol and Division. Her hands formed firsts, fighting the erg to go aid Dedrick in the fight like she had many times before. They were partners, and it was hard for her to take a back seat even if it was for her own good. When the gunfire ceased, Katherine crawled out of her hiding spot. "Michael!" Katherine called out, the name leaving her mouth catching herself off guard. Never did she think his name would be leaving her lips, calling for assistance.

She stood slowly; her hand crossed her body to hold up her dress that threatened to fall thanks to Dedrick. "Michael?" Katherine called again developing some worry when her mentor didn't respond right away. What if he was dead? What if Alex was dead? She approached the door slowly and let out a sigh when Michael came into view. A gentle sheen of sweat covered his brow and there was blood splattered on his dress shirt. "Are you okay?" Katherine spoke, her natural Russian accent completely eliminated by the American one she had come accustomed to.

Michael glanced down at the blood on his shirt and nodded, "It's not mine," He told her calmly before looking her over, her blond hair was a mess, makeup was smeared across her face and her dress was hanging off her shoulder with its remaining strap. Katherine may not have been caught in the crossfire, but she looked like she had been mauled by a wild animal. "Are you alright?" Michael asked slowly as he approached her, peeling off his jacket to wrap around her shoulders.

Katherine nodded calmly and pulled his jacket close, "Yeah, what happened? I heard gunfire-"

Michael ran his fingers through her dark brown hair quickly not fully understanding what had happened himself. He had run in to stop Mirko from laying another hand on Alex when a team of masked men stormed into the room. Bullets flew as they took out Dadich's men, Nikita even made an appearance. "Mirko's gone," Michael spoke sharply as he ushered Katherine out of the room, "We have to get you back to Division."

Katherine's eyes scanned the main room again; falling on Alex's whose face was bruised from one to many hits. They then looked back towards the room Mirko had led Alex into and saw his men lying dead on the floor. "Oh my..." She spoke under her breath when she saw Dedrick lying on the floor, blood blossoming from his lower abdomen. He seemed to be hanging on by a thread, but Katherine knew that he was okay when he gave her a quick wink. She returned her attention to Michael when he placed a plan on her back. He then nodded towards the door, it was time to go.

**Division Headquarters, Katherine's Room. 3:57 PM.**

Katherine sat on her cot, Michael's jacket still around her shoulders as Percy stood in front of her, his hands in his pockets. His voice was loud and crisp but she did not hear a single word. She could care less about what had happened in the next room at the hotel. Alex was safe; Dedrick was alive and most likely on the hunt for Mirko and the Uranium just like Division. The longer she could hold them off, the higher the chance Dedrick would have the uranium. "I've told you once," Katherine spoke, her voice carrying a sharp edge, "and I'll tell you again. I was in the next room. I didn't see anything but the ceiling of the parlor room as Dadich's man got what he paid for."

Percy looked down at the blond with an unimpressed expression. He left the room quickly; he had to get to the bottom of this. He needed Mirko; most importantly he needed the uranium.

"If you remember anything, you let me know," Michael nodded as he took a step towards the door.

"Michael, wait," Katherine requested as she kicked off her heels and slipped off Michael's jacket, "Here," She held it out gently, "Thank you." A small smile played on Katherine's lips as she looked up at Michael. She couldn't help but noticed the look of discomfort he wore. "Are you sure everything is okay?" She asked slowly as he took his blazer back.

Michael cleared his throat as he grasped his jacket in hand. Physically, Michael was nearly perfect, with no bullet wounds, just a small collection of bumps and bruises. Mentally, however, Michael felt a bit off and he wasn't sure what was causing it. "I'm alright," Michael assured her, "thanks for the concern." It was then Michael found himself smiling. It was one of the many things he did on rare occasions, mostly occurring falsely while on a mission but this smile was pure. He eliminated it quickly and gave her a nod, "You should get cleaned up, good work today." Michael finished quickly before slipping out of the room.

Michael shook his head briefly in an attempt to clear his thoughts as he walked down the dimly lit Division hallway. _Good work today._ His words rang through his mind; he had just praised a recruit for being objectified and violated. Michael shuddered slightly; he took note to apologize for it later. He ran his fingers through his hair as he moved to pull his jacket on. Once it rested on his shoulders all he could smell was Katherine's captivating and sweet perfume. It was a subtle, floral scent that easily distracted Michael. He groaned softly before moving to pull off his jacket roughly. The last thing he needed was a distraction and he hated the fact that it was a recruit that was causing it.

**Division Headquarters, Locker Room. 5:40 PM.**

A thin fog lingered along the ceiling from the steaming hot showers the recruits grew accustomed to having. The hot water tattooing against their backs always released the tension that built up after a long day of training. Showering was a brief escape from Division. It is a location where they could be left to their thoughts, and not worry about hacking computers with Birkhoff or the right shade of lipstick with Amanda. Some took this opportunity to cry, hiding their tears under the water that rained down on them. Others sang when they were alone, letting their voice ring around the showers and out into where the lockers sat with their change of clothes.

Katherine stood under the steaming water for a long time, letting the soapy water rinse away Dedrick's kiss from her lips and the distinct smell of Michael from her shoulders. Her mind was stuck in a cycle of thoughts of events from the day. When she shut her eyes she could still see Dedrick's charming smile and the feeling of his lips on hers. The slick bar of soap that ran over her shoulders slipped from Katherine's hands when the fading scent of cologne sent Dedrick into the depths of her mind easily replacing it with the image of Michael. Her blue eyes flashed open in an instant as she brought her hands to run over her face that wore a confused expression. Why was Michael in her head? Her fingers knotted in her wet blond hair as she attempted to clear her mind but the image wouldn't fade. His seldom smug grin stuck in the back of her mind as she quickly retrieved the soap and scrubbed the smell from her shoulders. She rinsed the suds from her skin before reaching for the towel that hung outside the curtain.

The cool air sent goosebumps over Katherine's slick skin as she walked towards the fogs mirror across from the shower. She ran her hand over the glass slowly, wiping away the condensation before adjusting her towel to remain snug under her armpits. She looked over her reflection casually as she fixed the part in her hair, before beginning to dry it gently with a second towel. Her footsteps were silent against the tile floor as she made her way to her locker. The quick movements of her nimble fingers opened the lock with ease and took out her change of clothes. She dressed quickly when she found that she was currently alone before moving to put the dirty towels in the hamper. A sudden movement behind her startled Katherine greatly causing her to turn around defensively, she then calmed when she found there to be no threat.

"Alex," Katherine spoke in a soft tone as she took in the sight of her fellow recruit. She forced a smile as she moved to approach her, having caught sight of the bruise on the left side of Alex's face accompanied by the cut on her lower lip. "Mirko, he did that to you?" She asked slowly as she moved to sit on a near bench to pull on her shoes.

Alex responded with a slow nod as she began to pull her wet hair back into a simple French braid; "Yeah, he did."

"For a fraction of the government who is supposed to take out threats, they are doing a shitty job," Katherine muttered with a gentle sigh as she tied her laces. She glanced over at Alex who smiled briefly at her comment before it faded back into a frown. Alex appeared to be fresh out of the shower, but by the way she stood, she looked like she felt dirty. "Did he?" Katherine spoke slowly as she stood; she could feel the heat of rage building in her chest as she did so. If Dadich had forced himself onto Alex, and she managed to get out of division alive, Katherine would have a countless number of things that she would do to Mirko that he would not particularly enjoy.

"No, he didn't," Alex responded in a somewhat relieved tone as she tied off the end of her braid with an elastic. "He was too busy knocking me around, Michael stepped in before he got the chance to go any further," She explained as she let her eyes meet Katherine's. She analyzed her blue irises' carefully catching the feeling of pain and confusion deep inside. "Katherine did the other man?" She asked cautiously, thinking that Katherine might not have been as lucky as she was when it came to entertaining the men.

Katherine thought back to the parlor room, Dedrick's hands roaming her back and her lips on his. She pulled herself back into the conversation moments later, "Gunshots began to fly before anything really happened," Katherine spoke and became shocked to find her words filled with genuine relief. Her brows knitted together briefly as she thought to herself. She had come to love Dedrick after working alongside him as partners but today something felt different and she couldn't put her finger on it. "I have those masked mercenaries to thank for that," Katherine sighed as she leaned back against the lockers, "I hope the asshole is found dead for what he did to you." She continued truthfully. Katherine had become extremely protective of the young woman across from her. To be in the next room while Alex was beaten by the son of a bitch, it hurt. Katherine can't help but feel that she could have done something about it instead of getting frisky with an old friend. She should have been the one in the room with Mirko; she should have taken that beating. Hell, she would have hit back.

Alex gave Katherine a smile at her words, Mirko Dadich had whatever was coming to him, "Thank you, Katherine," Alex hummed and the two women met in a gentle hug. Alex rested her chin on Katherine's shoulders, and Katherine's on hers and they remained there in silence.

"If you need anything, I'm here for you okay?" Katherine told Alex strongly as the two women parted. Being alone in Division was a long uphill battle, but with a friend, it made the battle worthwhile. Alex nodded slowly as the two women with common incentives shared smiles. They were both plan to take down Division, but the other has yet to find out.

**Downtown. 6:10 PM.**

The gentle drizzle of rain sent a chill down the busy city street. Cars roared through the puddle, splashing the pedestrians on the edge of the sidewalk as they jogged to their destination. Among the crowd, Dedrick Schmidt walks casually his phone pressed against his ear as the rain dampened his dark brown hair and fresh suit. His abdomen burned from the bullet he had taken while trying to defend Mirko, it was now a constant reminder of his failure to get the location of the uranium. "Я не понимаю (I didn't get it);" Dedrick spoke quickly to his handler on the opposing end of the call, "Был помехи от другого аутсайдера (There was interference from another outsider)." He explained briefly before slipping under a sheltered entranceway at the rain grew harder.

 _"_ _Кто?(Who_ _?)"_ The voice of his superior filled his ear cannel sounding less than, please.

"Nikita," Dedrick responded as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. He had watched from the shadows as the petite rouge agent from Division threw the GPS down into the subway tracks leaving both Gogol and Division empty-handed. Dedrick listed as his superior cursed under his breath before telling him to report back to headquarters to resume his prior mission. "понятый (Understood)," Dedrick then flipped his phone shut before slipping it into a near trashcan. He had no other reason to contact Gogol until he landed, until then he wanted to be left with his thoughts. He let his mind wander back to the hotel, the feeling of Katia seated on his lap, her fingers knotted in his hair as they met at the lips. It was the first time he had seen her in four months since she was deployed on the mission he forced her into. She had fit the profile they needed perfectly, she had a way in thanks to her father, and her skills were more than satisfactory. But seeing her there, after the mercenaries attacked, completely reliant on the man named Michael it made him feel sick. He had to fight long and hard not to stand, blow the head off her current handler destroying the cover they worked so hard to make. Knowing that she would one day return home _to him_ , with _Division destroyed_ was what got him through it. In the end, he would win.


End file.
